After celebrating its 50th anniversary last year, the Alton-based Sharyland Water Supply is taking the next steps in growing to meet the needs of their 18,000 customers.

Local representatives with the water company and neighboring cities met at a ceremony last week for the groundbreaking of the company’s new headquarters, a project that is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“This project has been a long endeavor and a sign of the vital partnership between the water company and the cities it serves,” Alton City Manager Jorge Arcaute said. “We need that partnership to support the growth in our city and know your new building represents that growth in the area.”

The groundbreaking, held Tuesday, Jan. 29, was for the company’s new administration and storage facility. The water company has three water plants with the ability to produce a total of 22 million gallons of water per day spread out in their service area that covers 18,000 customers in Alton, Palmhurst, a portion of McAllen and northwestern Hidalgo County.

The current building of around 7,000 square feet, located at the intersection of Mile 5 Road and Shary Road, will be functional until its new location, located 700 feet south of it, opens.

The new, 12,000 square foot location will have 16 offices for its 23 employees, a drive-thru and more parking and easier access to it to not create any potential traffic incidents, Isael Posadas, a representative with the Edinburg-based engineering firm SDI Engineering said.

“The original plan was to remodel the building but with Shary and Mile 5 Roads expanding, we knew that a new location would provide easier access to customers,” Posadas said. “It creates a more efficient way of getting in and out of the facility. “

The new location is at an empty lot of 35 acres owned by Sharyland Water Supply Corporation. The new office will be near a 7,700 square foot storage facility that will also be built for the water company.

Posadas said that the new administrative building was modeled after the Edinburg location of Magic Valley Electric Company, which is the same size as the incoming Sharyland Water building.

“We’re going to have room for all the staff and for future growth,” Posadas said of the project budgeted at $4,228,000.

In his speech to attendees for the groundbreaking ceremony, Sharyland Water Supply Corporation Board President Andrew H. Smith III marveled at the growth of Sharyland Water and its headquarters.

“When Harold Johnson started this company, it was based out of his home just down the street and had a handful of employees,” Smith said. “Now we have 23 employees and are in an office we’d never think we’d outgrow, but it’s happening. It has outdated infrastructure so we’re building a new facility to continue to grow and catch up to the demands of our customers.”